“Podcast advertising in H2 2020 recovered faster than anticipated, audience numbers continued to climb, and digital audio is now a staple in many people’s media diets,” wrote analyst Mariel Soto Reyes in a blog post. “Podcasting has also benefited from companies like Spotify, Amazon, iHeartMedia, and others buying and publicizing content studios and ad tech companies alike.”
There is a divide in podcasting between platforms focused on building large content libraries and those focused on attracting subscribers. According to Conal Byrne, president of the iHeartPodcast Network at iHeartMedia, “There are really two industries underneath this one. There’s the audience industry and the subscription industry. The subscription industry, Luminary, Spotify, etc., is using podcasts as a lead generator to get you to buy something else that’s not a podcast. The audience industry is a very simple business model: Every single thing we make, we will distribute everywhere.”
Need help navigating the exploding podcast industry? To get your brand’s message on podcasts this record-breaking year, contact SMI today.